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January 31, 2025

Vaughters: “This was a no brainer to me, to be honest.”

Veteran defensive end James Vaughters has signed a one-year deal with the Blue Bombers. Photo courtesy Angela Burger/Calgary Stampeders

James Vaughters has been around professional football long enough to appreciate the things often taken for granted in the game, like opportunity and organizational fit, good health and a good locker room.

And so, when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers came calling on the veteran defensive end following his release from the Calgary Stampeders earlier this month, well, it wasn’t too long before he made up his mind to trade in his red and white for blue and gold.

“This was a no brainer to me, to be honest,” said Vaughters when reached by bluebombers.com from his new home in Atlanta. “I mean, that’s a team that has been so successful — not only in the West but in the entire league — for the past five-six years or so.

“When you’re at the point of your career that I am you really want to be winning as much as possible and going into the most-consistent situation and Winnipeg has had a lot of consistency over the past few years.

“There’s quality players and a quality coaching staff, so this wasn’t a tough decision for me at all.”

Now 31, Vaughters — along with defensive tackle Mike Rose — were released ahead of an offseason roster bonus. Vaughters had five sacks for the Stamps last season, second on the club to Rose, and finds a new home with the Blue Bombers and a spot opposite Willie Jefferson, giving defensive coordinator Jordan Younger another veteran presence up front.

“Absolutely, that’s exciting,” said Vaughters. “Football’s a team sport and the D-line is as much of that as anything. Any time you play across from a guy who has a lot of quality and makes a lot of plays like Willie — and he demands a lot of attention from offences — you look forward to that. If you’re doing well and getting more attention from the offence, then your partner has the opportunity to eat and vice-versa… if he’s performing well then that gives me opportunity.

“It’s tough to go on a cold streak if you’ve got a ton of quality on your D-line. Even if you go an individual cold streak, somebody on that D-line should be eating at all times.”

Winnipeg finished first in 16 defensive statistical categories in 2024, including opponent offensive points (19.9), touchdowns surrendered (33), net offence (328.6) and passing yards (234.8), but was last in sacks with 26.

The addition of Vaughters comes one day after the club signed former Toronto Argonauts linebacker Jonathan Jones and with the departure of Adam Bighill and the return to health of Canadian defensive tackle Cam Lawson, Winnipeg’s front six could feature significant change when the 2025 season opens.

Worth noting: the Blue Bombers do have three defensive linemen from last year — ends TyJuan Garbutt and Celestin Haba and tackle Miles Fox — all approaching free agency, with the market opening on February 11th.

Vaughters suited up for all 18 games last year after missing 12 games in 2023 with a season-ending bicep injury. Prior to that, he had registered five QB takedowns in six games. Over his two stints with the Stamps — 2017-18; 2023-24 – he appeared in 57 games, adding 97 tackles, 21 sacks and three forced fumbles. In between, he played in 27 NFL games — 17 with the Chicago Bears and 10 more with the Atlanta Falcons.

Vaughters offered this on his days with the Stamps and his release:

“I really appreciate the opportunity they gave me. After ’17-18, going down to the NFL and then coming back I just appreciated the opportunity after not playing in 2022.

“Things had to change when the team’s not doing well.”

Vaughters’ five sacks last year came in the final 13 games as he continued to build confidence coming off an injury and regain his strength.

“It took me some time to get back to feeling that, No. 1, I wasn’t worried about getting hurt on the next play but also excel rather than just doing my job,” he said. “When you’re coming off a losing campaign you put yourself under a microscope and I felt like I was noticeably trending up with my performances as the season went on.

“That’s the momentum I want to continue. If you play a long time, you know how hard it is to win. I just appreciated the opportunity to be playing. Any time you step on the field it’s a privilege. I know it’s cliché to say it, but there are a lot of other jobs you could be doing other than playing football. It’s a blessing to be able to play a sport for a living. That’s part of why I’ve been playing a long time, I think, because I appreciate that opportunity so much and don’t take it for granted.

“That club in Winnipeg has such a good reputation and that’s why I’m so looking forward to this opportunity. I can’t wait to get there.”